Musical water closet

ABSTRACT

In combination with a conventional water closet having a water box, bowl, and flushing means, there is provided a music box or sound emitting device which will produce a pleasant sound in response to manual flushing of the water closet.

United States Patent [191 Kraff MUSICAL WATER CLOSET [76] Inventor:Lillian G. Kraff, 468 South Roxbury Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. 9021222 Filed: May 22,1972

21 Appl. No.: 255,552

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1965 Garthofner ..84/95 C X 51 Feb. 6, 19732,847,891 7 23/1958 Scott ..84/94 C 2,721,531 10/1955 Findley, Jr....84/94 C X 3,059,608 10/1962 Lee ..84/94 C X Primary ExaminerH. 0.Jones Att0rneyC. A. Miketta et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT In combination with a conventional water closet having awater box, bowl, and flushing means, there is provided a music box orsound emitting device which will produce a pleasant sound in response tomanual flushing of the water closet.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MUSICAL WATER CLOSET BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION In the conventional water closet the device operates bydischarging a volume of water held in a reservoir or water box and thiswater is selectively discharged into the bowl by a flushing mechanismwhich is manually operated. When the water is discharged into the bowland during the water inlet to refill the water box, there is a noiseassociated with the water closet that is deemed by some persons to beunpleasant and annoying. Attempts to overcome this undesirable aspect ofthe conventional water closet by providing relatively silent waterclosets have only been midly effective since there is only limitedsolutions available to the problem. Moreover, although the more modernconventional water closets that are being installed in homes andbuildings today are relatively silent, there remains numerous waterclosets in millions of homes and buildings which, because they arenether obsolete nor require replacement, still produce the noise duringthe flushing operation.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide asound emitting device which may be simply and easily detachably securedto the water box of the water closet which will emit sound, such asmusic, in response to the manual operation of the flushing mechanism andduring the period of the flushing operation overcoming the noisenormally associated .with the flushing and refilling operation. It is afurther object to provide such a device which is inexpensive, simple indesign and will operate for a pre-selected period of time. Such devicewhen attached to the wall of the water closet will advantageously employthe water box to resonate and amplify the sound emitted by the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The combination of a water closet comprising abowl, water box, and flushing mechanism including an exterior manuallyoperated handle for pivotal movement to operate the flushing means, asound emitting device comprising a housing attached to a wall of thewater box, music producing means including a source of power, and switchmeans including a pivotally mounted trip arm extending from the devicein selective operable engagement with the flushing means whereby manualoperation of the handle activates the music producing means to providemusic during the period of flushing. In one exemplary embodiment, themusic producing means may comprise a mechanical or electrical powersource which drives a conventional drum and tine arrangement-forproducing the sounds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a partial side elevationview of portions of the sound emitting device; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the switch means of the sound emittingdevice showing the trip arm inalternative positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thedrawing, there is shown, with particular reference to FIG. 1, aconventional or ordinary water closet 10 generally comprising a waterbox 11, a bowl 15, and flushing means a portion of which is shown at 18.The water box 11 includes side walls 12 and a front wall 13 as well as acover which includes a top wall 14. The flushing means 18 isconventional and well known in the art and may comprise variousarrangements or configurations which perform the function of storingwater in the water box 11 and selectively discharging such water intothe bowl 15 upon manual operation of the flushing means at which timethe water box will automatically refill through a suitable water inlet.The portion of the flushing means which is pertinent to the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 2 and may comprise an exteriorlymounted, manually operated handle 19, mounted on a rotatable shaftextending through the forward wall 13 of the water box and limited forpivotal movement. The interior of the water box there is mounted a rod21 for operation of the plunger that opens and closes the water inletfrom the water box to the bowl in conventional and well known manner.The water box, as is common, may be constructed of ceramic material andwill enclose a space of several cubic feet. The water box will amplify asound which is directly transmitted to one of the walls of the water boxparticularly when the ceramic box is empty as when the water isdischarged out of the box during the flushing operation.

A sound emitting device 25 isprovided which.ineludes attaching means 26and a housing 27. The device is secured to one wall of the water box bythe attaching means which may comprise a pair of metallic or plastichook-shaped clips 28 that are positioned over the top edge of one wallof the water box when the cover is removed. The clips 28 are relativelythin permitting the proper fit of the cover on the top of the water boxas required to minimize the sound emitted when the water box isrefilled. The clips 28 are preferably strong so as to urge the housing27 of the sound emitting device in intimate engaging contact with thewall of the water box so that the sound emitted will be amplifiedthrough the water box itself.

The sound emitting device 25 also includes music producing means 30which in the exemplary embodiment is of entirely conventionalconstruction used in jewelry music boxes, childrens toys, and variousother devices. While such mechanical music producing means is well knownin the art, briefly, such means includes a power source 31 which in theexemplary embodiment comprises a mechanical spring motor 32 and a key 33for winding the motor. More preferably, in the present invention, themotor may comprise a battery operated motor as a power source. The musicproducing means generally comprises a drum 34, having a plurality ofperipherally disposed pins 35 located about the periphery of the drum atvarious positions in circular rows which are in registery with tines 36mounted on an integral arm 37 extending from one wall of the housing 27.As is well known, rotation of the drum will cause vibration of the tinesthus producing a musical sound which may correspond to a musicalarrangement as desired. The drum 34 is driven through a gear trainindicated generally at 38 which in turn drives a brake wheel 39 whichrotates in a vertical plane as seen best in FIG. 4.

The sound emitting device 25 also includes switch means 40 whichcomprises an arm 41 pivotally mounted by suitable means in the housing27. One wall of the housing is provided with an opening 42 through whichthe arm extends exteriorly of the housing as seen best in FIG. 4. Theinterior end 43 of of arm 41 is disposed for engagement with the brakewheel 39. The other end 44 of arm 41 is disposed in the path of thehandle 19 as seen best in FIG. 2. It will be apparent that upon manualpivotal movement of handle 19, the handle will engage the outer end 44of the arm 41 moving the arm from the position shown in solid lines inFIG. 4 wherein the inner end 43 of the arm engages one end of the brakewheel 39 preventing the wheel and thus the drum from rotating andemitting music to the position shown in phantom lines where the brakewheel is free to rotate and thus the drum may rotate to produce music.It will be appreciated that in the particular configuration of a waterbox disclosed in FIG. 2, the free end of handle 19 extends beyond theside wall of the water box and by proper positioning of the trip arm 41pivotal movement of the handle 19 may be made to engage the trip arm.Not all water box configurations will have the handle extending beyondthe side walls and in such event it may be necessary to mount an armbetween the handle and the front wall of the water box which extends agreater distance than the handle so that it may engage the trip arm.Such modification would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in theart.

The switch means 40 of the present invention also includes time delaymeans 48 such as a dashpot or damping device 49 connected to arm 41 by avertically disposed member 50. The dashpot 49 may be entirelyconventional permitting the piston in the dashpot to be moved freelydownwardly but restricted in its upper movement by the provision of asuitably sized orifice in the top wall of the dashpot housing so thatthe piston may rise at a slow rate. The time delay means permits thesound emitting device 25 to operate notwithstanding that the handle 19when manually released will immediately return to its normal position.While the handle 19 will immediately move upwardly, the arm 41 willreturn to the solid line position as shown in FIG. 4 slowly dependingupon the preselected time period for which it is desired that the soundemitting device operates. Such period may be selected to correspond withthe time normally involved in completing a flushing operation includingthe discharge of the stored water into the bowl and refilling of thewater box.

While a particular embodiment of the sound emitting device of thepresent invention has been disclosed, it will be appreciated that suchsound emitting device may take various forms which are mechanical orelectrical (battery operated) and in which the switch means may providesimply an on-off contact between electrical elements to operate thedevice. Other modifications and variations of the present invention willbe apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art including, by wayof example, the positioning of the sound emitting device within thewater box and above the water line and permitting the rod 21 toselectively engage the trip arm 41 when the handle is manually pivotallyoperated.

lclaim: I 1. In combination with a water closet comprising a bowl, waterbox, and flushing means including an .exterior, manually operated handlecarried by a rotatably mounted shaft for pivotal movement to operate theflushing means and an interiorly mounted rod fixedly carried by saidshaft and connected to a plunger for opening and closing a water inletfrom said water box to said bowl, a sound emitting device comprising ahousing attached to a wall of the water box, music producing meansincluding a power source, and switch means including a pivotally mountedtrip arm extending from said device in selective operable engagementwith said flushing means whereby manual operation of said handleactivates said music producing means to provide music during the periodofflushing.

2. In combination with claim 1 wherein the sound emitting device ispositioned exteriorly of the water box and the trip arm is disposed inthe path of movement of the manually operated handle.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the sound emitting device ispositioned interiorly of the water and the trip arm is positioned in thepath of the rod for selective engagement therewith.

4. The sound emitting device of claim 1 wherein said switch meansinclude time delay means for maintaining the trip arm in the positioncorresponding to activation of the music producing means afterengagement with said flushing means permitting the music producing meansto operate for a pre-selected period of time.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said power source includes a keyand spring motor.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said power source includes abattery and motor.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sound emitting deviceincludes means for firmly detachably engaging said sound emitting devicehousing to a wall of the water box whereby the water box will amplifythe sound emitted from said sound emitting device.

1. In combination with a water closet comprising a bowl, water box, andflushing means including an exterior, manually operated handle carriedby a rotatably mounted shaft for pivotal movement to operate theflushing means and an interiorly mounted rod fixedly carried by saidshaft and connected to a plunger for opening and closing a water inletfrom said water box to said bowl, a sound emitting device comprising ahousing attached to a wall of the water box, music producing meansincluding a power source, and switch means including a pivotally mountedtrip arm extending from said device in selective operable engagementwith said flushing means whereby manual operation of said handleactivates said music producing means to provide music during the periodof flushing.
 1. In combination with a water closet comprising a bowl,water box, and flushing means including an exterior, manually operatedhandle carried by a rotatably mounted shaft for pivotal movement tooperate the flushing means and an interiorly mounted rod fixedly carriedby said shaft and connected to a plunger for opening and closing a waterinlet from said water box to said bowl, a sound emitting devicecomprising a housing attached to a wall of the water box, musicproducing means including a power source, and switch means including apivotally mounted trip arm extending from said device in selectiveoperable engagement with said flushing means whereby manual operation ofsaid handle activates said music producing means to provide music duringthe period of flushing.
 2. In combination with claim 1 wherein the soundemitting device is positioned exteriorly of the water box and the triparm is disposed in the path of movement of the manually operated handle.3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the sound emitting device ispositioned interiorly of the water and the trip arm is positioned in thepath of the rod for selective engagement therewith.
 4. The soundemitting device of claim 1 wherein said switch means include time delaymeans for maintaining the trip arm in the position corresponding toactivation of the music producing means after engagement with saidflushing means permitting the music producing means to operate For apre-selected period of time.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein saidpower source includes a key and spring motor.
 6. The combination ofclaim 1 wherein said power source includes a battery and motor.